Interference Archive presents Armed By Design/El Diseño a las Armas: Posters and Publications of Cuba’s Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (OSPAAAL), a public exhibition and event series which features the graphic design production of the Organization in Solidarity with the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Based in Havana, OSPAAAL produced nearly 500 posters, magazines, and books from the late 1960s through the present.OSPAAAL developed out of the Tricontinental Conference, a 1966 meeting in Havana of delegates representing national liberation movements and political parties almost exclusively from the global south. Marrying a design that has unique Cuban aesthetics with literature from revolutionary thinkers, OSPAAAL was, and remains, a political organization focused on fighting US imperialism and supporting leftist liberation movements around the world. OSPAAAL became propagandists for these movements, supporting them through poster production, two different regularly produced journals (Tricontinental and the Tricontinental Bulletin), and a series of longer format books featuring the writings of the intellectual leadership of these movements.Armed By Design/El Diseño a las Armas will highlight the intersection of graphic design and political solidarity work in post-revolution Cuba through the lens of OSPAAAL’s output. The public exhibition will highlight the Carlos Vega Poster Collection, donated to Interference Archive by his son, Jesse Maceo Vega-Frey. The late Vega was a community organizer in Western Massachusetts whose collection of over 50 OSPAAAL posters was acquired on trips to Cuba in the 1970s. In addition, Armed by Design will include OSPAAAL posters and materials collected by Interference Archive co-founder Dara Greenwald (1971–2012) on a trip to Cuba in 2003.Curated by Lani Hanna, Jen Hoyer, Josh MacPhee, Vero Ordaz, and Joelle Rebeiz.

Program SeriesAn event series accompanying the exhibition will facilitate audience engagement through community discussion about the solidarity work of OSPAAAL and other organizations. Check www.interferencearchive.org for updates to our list of related programming.September 16, 7-10pm: Exhibition openingJoin us to celebrate the opening of of Armed By Design/El Diseño a las ArmasSeptember 24, 7-9pm: Curator’s tourJoin the curators of Armed By Design for a tour of this exhibition on graphic design production and political solidarity.October 14, 7pm: Film screening: the work of Santiago ÁlvarezIn connection with the Armed by Design/El Diseño a las Armas exhibition, Interference Archive hosts a film night of the work of Santiago Álvarez. Álvarez was a Cuban documentary filmmaker whose work explores political issues in Latin America and racial discrimination in the United States, among other themes.October 22, 7pm: OSPAAAL political graphics: a zine-making workshopIn this workshop, we will discuss OSPAAAL’s work to create reproducible graphics. A large collection of these graphics will be on hand for workshop participants to work with in creating their own page of a collaborative zine, which will be our goal by the end of the evening.

PublicationA published collection of reflections on the work of OSPAAAL will accompany the exhibition and will be available for pre-order. This 72 page, color publication will include reproductions of OSPAAAL publications as well as a series of writings about the work of OSPAAAL. Contributing authors include Lincoln Cushing, librarian, archivist, activist, and creator of Docs Populi (http://www.docspopuli.org/); Sarah Seidman, Puffin Foundation Curator of Social Activism, Museum of the City of New York; Jesse Maceo Vega-Frey, son of activist and OSPAAAL poster collector Carlos Vega; and an interview with Jane Norling, activist and OSPAAAL poster artist. Check www.interferencearchive.org for updates on pre-ordering this publication.

Armed By Design PortfolioTo coincide with reflections on the solidarity work of OSPAAAL, in large part through the posters they designed and distributed in the Tricontinental bulletin, we have invited 10 artists (individuals and collectives) from around the world to create a poster in solidarity with a current movement. This portfolio will be on display as part of the exhibition, and is available for purchase by contacting info[at]interferencearchive.orgArtists include, Tomie Arai, Dignidad Rebelde, Ganzeer, Jamaa al-Yad, Sublevarte Colectivo, Un Mundo Feliz, Yuko Tonohira, A3CB, Steven Rodriguez, Friends of Ibn Firnas

Education and Class VisitsArmed By Design offers high school and college-level classes the opportunity to visit the exhibition. Courses or organizing groups focused on design and poster art, anti-imperialism, Latin America, international politics, and solidarity will find this exhibition especially relevant.We are most able to organize visits during our regular open hours: Thursdays from 1-9pm, and Friday/Saturday/Sunday from 12-5pm. To arrange a visit, contact classes[at]interferencearchive.org